Railroad-crossing



R. ROTHWELL.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION mtu ocT. 1s, 1919.

1,333,253.Y l, PatentedApr. 27,1920.V

IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES ATEN-T FFCE mcHAma no'rHWELL, or Los ANGELES', cALrrozaNIA.

Spcification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apnea, 1920.

,Application area oetoter 13, 1919. senai No. asa-a Y p To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD Ro'rriwnLL, a citizen ofl the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad Crossings, ofwhich the following is a specification. v l

My object is' to malte an improved actuator for a silent railway crossing, and my invention consists ofthe novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

The Kpresent invention` is an improvement upon the actuator shown in my Patent No. 1,283,672, dated 'November 5, 1918, tor silent railway crossings granted to Charles `@laiborn and assigned to myself.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary' top plan view ot' a silent railway Crossing and showing the actuator embodying the principles of my invention in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged `fragi'nentary top plan view of the actuator shown in Fig. 1.and the view being taken looking in the direcL tion indicated by the arrow 2 in' Fig. 3, and parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the mounting orthe lactuator with the other parts omitted and the View being taken look; ing in the direction indicated by the arrow 4in Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 5 is a' `fragmentaryI vertical sectional detail on the line v5-#5 of Fig;'2. 1 The irst railway track includes the rails 1 and 2 and the second railway trackincludes the railf3 crossing the rails 1 and 2 at right angles. The rail 1 has tread portions 4 and 5. The rail 2 Vhas tread portions 6 and 7. The rail 3 has tread portions 8 9 and 10. The Vinner edges 11 and 12 of the tread portions 4 and 5 are in a line to .be engaged by a car wheel flange.V The inner edges 13 and 14 of thetread portions 6' and 7 are in a line to be engaged byv a c'a-r wheel flange, and the inner edges 15, 16 and 17 of the tread portions 8,9 and v10 are in a line to be engaged by a car wheel flange.

A vertical slot 18 is formed through the treads and webs at an angle of 45o relative to the edges 11 and 15, and a similar vertical slot 19 is formed through the treads and websat an angie @450 relative to the edges 13 and 17 and at right angles to the slot 18,. The slot 18 separates the portions 4 from 5 and 8 from 9, and the slot 19 separates the portions 6 from 7 and 9 from 10. A'tread shifting member 20 is mounted slidingly in the slot 18, and a similar tread shifting member 21 is `mounted slidingly in the The shifting member 20 has shifting treads 22 and '23. The shifting tread 22 has an edge 24 adapted to move into line with the'y edges 11 and 12, and the shifting tread 23 has an edge 25 adapted to move into line with the edges 15 and 16. The shifting member 21 has shitting treads 26 and 27. `The shifting tread 26 hasan edge 28 adapt# ed to move into line with the edges 16 and 17 and the shifting' tread 27 has yan edge 29 adapted! to move into linev with the edges 13 and 14. The shifting members 20 and 21 have corresponding'ends connected to links 30 and 31 andthe links 30 and 31 are connected together by' a pivot 32.

The actuator 33 is connected to the rail 2 and to the pivot 32 to lbe actuated by a car approachingthe crossing in the direction indicated by the arrow 34. The details Y of theY actuator 33 are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The actuator mounting 35 has an attaching plate 36'secured against theinner side of the web 37 of the rail 2 by bolts 38. A 'ledge 39 extends inwardly from the upper part of the attaching plate 36. The ledge 39 has a portion 40, the upper Jaceflfl of which is substantially on a level with the straight face 48 and a head 49. The head 49 is rounded toa semicircle to form the bearing face 50 and the head 49 lits in the seat 43l with the Vface 50 in contact with the :tace of the seat. A pin 51 extends downwardly from the head 49 concentric to the face 50 through a vpin hole 52 at the bottom of the seat 43. The cotter 53 is inserted through the lower end of the pin 51 below the ledge 39. The flange 54 extends from the ball of the rail 6 inwardly from the edge 13. The ledge 39 has a recess 55 in which the flange 54 fits. The actuator bar 47 rests upon the flange 54 and the edge 48 normally-extends diagonally across the flange 54 from the contacting point 56 through the head 49, so that when the carrwheel` is rolling along the tread 6 with the car wheel flange against the edge 13 the car wheel flange will strike the edge 48 and move the actuator bar 47 inwardly away from the edge 13 as'required to allow the car wheel flange to pass. a l

Thelever 57 has an arm 58 connected to the pivotv32 and an arm 59 bearingagainst the inner face of the free end of the actuator bar 47. The lever 57 has a head 60 fitting 'in the seat 44, a pintle 61 fitting in the bearing recess 45, and a pin 62 extending through the opening 46.y A cotter 63 is inserted through the pin 62 below the ledge 39. The arm 59 extends from the head 60 at an angle of more than 90O relative to the arm 58. A link 64 connects the free end of the actuator bar 47 to the free end of the arm 59, said link being recessed into the lower sides of the parts 47 and 59, there being pins 65 .and 66 extending downwardly into the ends of the link to Jform the pivots.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the car is moving in thel direction indicated by the arrow '34, the car wheel flange will strike the edge 48 of the actuator bar 47, the pivot 32 will move in the direction indicated by the arrow 67, and the shifting members 2O and 21 will be moved to bring the edges 24 and 29 into line with the edges 11 and 13, sothat the car wheels will pass the groove 68 upon the treads 22 and 27.

In a like manner the actuator 69 will bev operated by the car moving in the direction indicated by the arrow V70 to move the shifting members 20 and 21 to bring theI edges 25 and 28 into line with the edges 15 kand 17, and then the car will cross the grooves 71 and 72 upon the treads 23 and 26.

If it is desired to make a silent crossing to be operated by cars moving toward the crossing in the four directions there will be four actuators 33 or 69. Where it is only desired to run cars one way upon each track only two actuators will be required. In any event there will be :tour shifting members 2() and 21 connected together for simultaneous operation.

There is a decided advantage i`n operating the actuator bar 47 against the arm 59 and connecting the actuator bar to the arm by the link 64 over making the arm 58 integral with the actuator bar 47.

The link 64 has half round ends 73 and 74 fitting in seats and the link is just long enough to sustain the pressure of the actuator bar 47 toward the arm 59 and relieve the friction between the faces. 75 and 76. The edge48 of the actuator bar 47 is longer and more inclined than could be made directly upon the arm 59 and at, the same time get the desired amount of swing.

Various changesmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim: f

1. An actuator for silent railwaycrossings comprising the combination with a rail, of an actuator mounting having an attaching plate secured against the'qinner side of kthe rail, va ledge` extending inwardly from the upper part of the attaching plate, an actuator bar pivotally connected to the ledge at a point inside ofthe wheel flange groove and adapted to extend diagonally across the wheel flange groove to the rail, and a lever pivotally attached to the ledge andhaving an arm extending inwardly .and adapted to be connected to the crossing mechanism and having a second arm extending outwardly on a diagonal line and adapted to be operated4 by the actuator bar.

2. An actuator for silent railway crossings comprising the combination with a rail, of an actuator mounting having an attaching plate secured against the inner side of the rail, a ledge extending inwardly from the upper part of the attaching plate, an actuator bar pivotally connected to the ledge at a point inside of the wheel flange groove and adapted to extend diagonally across the wheel flange groove to the rail, a lever pivotally attached to the ledge and having an arm extendinnr inwardly and adapted to be connected' to the crossing mechanism and having a second arm extending outwardly on a diagonal line, and a link connecting the free end of the actuator'bar to the freeV end of the second arm. Y

3. A silent railway crossing having shifting treads movable in lines diagonally across the rails at the rail junctions, an actuator mounting having an attaching plate secured against the inner side of the rail, a ledge extending inwardly from the upper part of the attaching plate, `an actuator bar pivotally connected to the ledge at a point inside of the wheel flange groove and adapted to extend diagonally `across the wheel flange groove to the rail,.a lever pivotally attached to the ledge and having an arm extending inwardly and connected tov `the shifting treads and having a second arm extending outwardly on a diagonal line, and a link connecting the 'free end of the actuator bar tothe free end of the second arm.- y

4. An actuator for silent railway crossings including the combination with a rail of an actuator mounting at the inner side of said rail and secured thereto, an actuator bar pivoted to said mounting at a point inside of the Wheel flange groove of said rail and adapted to extend diagonally across the Wheel Hange groove to the rail tread, and a lever pivotally attached to said mounting and having an arm extending inwardly and adapted to be connected to the crossing mechanism and having a second larm adapted to be operated by the actuator l0 In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.

RICHARD ROTHWELL. 

